For the second consecutive year, Kaiser Permanente is the only health plan in California to earn a four-star rating for quality of care in the 2010 Health care Quality Report Card from the California Office of the Patient Advocate (OPA). The annual ratings, available at www.HealthCareQuality.ca.gov, provide California consumers with side-by-side comparisons of health plans, ranking them on a number of standard-of-care measures that have both immediate and long-term implications on personal health.

Kaiser Permanente Northern California and Southern California earned the highest four-star marks in the report's overall comparison of clinical performance, including perfect marks in asthma and lung care, checking for cancer, Chlamydia screenings, and diabetes, heart, maternity and mental health care. In the Checking for Cancer category, Kaiser Permanente Northern California had a three percent increase in breast cancer screenings, a two percent increase in cervical cancer screenings and a 16 percent increase in colorectal cancer screenings, earning an additional star in this year's ranking over the 2009 results.

Additionally, Kaiser Permanente Northern California saw significant increases in their diabetes care and heart care results, and continued to improve its scores in many of the OPA's customer service categories, including doctor communication, coordinated care, health promotion and receiving care easily. "These ratings are another testament to the high level of care delivered by our physicians, nurses and staff members," said Gregory A. Adams, president of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan/Hospitals, Inc., in Northern California. "Kaiser Permanente is recognized as a health care leader in prevention and quality care, and we strive to continuously improve the work we do, so we can further enhance the health and well-being of our patients and the communities we serve."

"This report demonstrates the superior clinical outcomes patients can achieve through Kaiser Permanente. We provide 21st century health care to more than 3 million patients-care that is fully integrated, prepaid and technologically advanced. As a result we have lowered the chances of our patients dying from heart disease 30 percent below the community around us, reduced the chances of patients dying from sepsis by more than 40 percent, and dramatically reduced the risk of cancer," said executive director and CEO of The Permanente Medical Group, Robert Pearl, MD.